Indianapolis Colts Who've Turned Heads in Offseason Workouts

As the Indianapolis Colts' organized team activities and mandatory minicamp approaches, it's difficult to assess how much we've learned about the new team.

Without contact at these practices and with many veterans not participating, how much can a team, or its media, really take away?

It's a fair question, and honestly, the real practice takeaways won't come until training camp in August—and even those are hit or miss. This is especially true for the defensive side of the ball, where the Colts have been beat up in the middle of the field over the last two years. This physicality is difficult to translate into a practice that's designed to get as few players injured as possible.

Still, there are a few players who have consistently garnered attention and could have a big impact come September. Today, those are the players we will take a closer look at yet again.

WR Andre Johnson

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It's not like Andre Johnson was an unknown entity coming into OTAs: People knew he was good.

But Johnson has still managed to gain some attention for how seamlessly he's transitioned into the offense, according to Kevin Bowen of Colts.com. Johnson, used almost exclusively as an "X" receiver in Houston, has quickly adapted to playing every alignment in Indianapolis, from the X to the Z to the slot.

Not only has Johnson turned heads with his work ethic and quick transition, but also with how his love for football has been rejuvenated in Indianapolis, per Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star:

"

Johnson's late-career change of address has reinvigorated his passion for the game. His mom hears it in his voice. His uncle sees it in his body language. Pagano senses it on the practice field.

For Andre Johnson, football is fun again.

"The last few years in Houston, his voice would just be so dry, so quiet," Karen Johnson says of her son. "Now he's so upbeat. He's always smiling. You can just feel the excitement."

"It's like when he first came into the league," Melton says. "He loves Andrew, he loves T.Y. (Hilton), he loves (offensive coordinator) Pep Hamilton."

"

Johnson, as a well-respected veteran, has committed to coming to every voluntary workout in Indianapolis, according to Lindsay Jones of USA Today, a sign of how much he has embraced the Colts' mantra and head coach Chuck Pagano's offseason plans.

WR Phillip Dorsett

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By now, this should be a well-established fact: Phillip Dorsett is fast.

Not only is Dorsett fast on the field (remember that 4.25-second 40-yard dash he was clocked at?), but he's fast in the classroom as well. Dorsett's quick grasp of the playbook and impactful play across three different wide receiver positions in OTAs have had teammates, coaches and media raving about him over the last three weeks, a fantastic sign for his rookie-year impact.

Dorsett signed his rookie contract a week-and-a-half ago, a fitting way to end a day in which he beat Pro Bowl cornerback Vontae Davis down the field for a long catch, per Mike Wells of ESPN.com.

Though Dorsett has received praise from Andrew Luck and Chuck Pagano, the most telling plaudits came from linebacker Jonathan Newsome, who told Colts.com that Dorsett was one of three players that had really impressed him in OTAs. The other two, predictably, were linebackers.

With Newsome getting to see linebackers train next to him every day, right alongside other defenders, it takes a lot to earn that kind of praise for an offensive player.

S Clayton Geathers

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For media watching OTAs, it's difficult for a defender to stand out.

This is the time for learning the playbook and figuring out rotations, not laying big hits on teammates.

But rookie safety Clayton Geathers has picked up a few headlines in his own right over the last few weeks. This isn't because he's necessarily turning heads with how he's playing, but who he is playing with.

According to Kevin Bowen of Colts.com, Geathers is running with the first-team defense at times, playing as a sub-package dime linebacker, which Chuck Pagano explained was a key part of today's NFL:

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He’s going to be one of those guys that in today’s football you can play inside as a dime backer (to) get more speed on the field, and matchup with the tight ends that we’ve got to cover now, the backs out of the backfield and things like that. He’s doing really well. He’s going to contribute, not only on defense, but he should be an outstanding special teamer as well.

"

More speed in the middle of the field is a good thing for Indianapolis. The Colts watched linebacker D'Qwell Jackson get repeatedly beat in pass coverage last season, and if Geathers can provide a respite at all, it will be a fourth-round draft pick well spent.

TE Erik Swoope

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A former basketball player at the University of Miami, Erik Swoope got his first taste of organized football last season. Now, heading into his second season, Chuck Pagano says the difference is stark, per The Herald Bulletin's George Bremer:

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Pagano: Swoope is "becoming a football player right before our eyes." Needs to keep competing, "make himself necessary." #Colts

— George Bremer (@gmbremer) May 27, 2015"

What does "becoming a football player" really mean in an OTAs session without contact? That's debatable. 

But for Swoope, just knowing the playbook and being able to be comfortable on the football field was the first step. That much seems to have happened, with Swoope making a few athletic catches during one practice, per Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star.

Again, we won't really know where Swoope is at until the pads come on, but if he has shown enough to make the roster (very doable if the Colts keep five receivers), then the team could have some intriguing options come next offseason as Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen's contracts expire.

OL Jack Mewhort

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While second-year offensive lineman Jack Mewhort has missed a few practices due to minor injuries and there's minimal contact in these practices, he's still been the driving force of the offensive line stories coming out of camp.

According to Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star, Mewhort is Plan B for the Colts at right tackle, with Plan A being Gosder Cherilus. The injury-prone veteran's recovery from surgery has been inconclusive thus far, and the team may need to start the 2015 season with other options in place.

Mewhort leads the way in that regard, with his versatility being one of the key reasons the Colts drafted him. It may come in handy quickly this season. It's unfortunate, given Mewhort's chemistry with standout left tackle Anthony Castonzo last season, but the team does have a player in Joe Reitz who has displayed similar chemistry in that role.

Throw in developing guard Hugh Thornton, and the team has plenty of options inside, making Mewhort's transition outside a bit easier to swallow. Can the second-year lineman play tackle effectively and protect franchise quarterback Andrew Luck on a consistent basis? That's a question which is yet to be answered.